Arne Slot have bred new Liverpool on his first season in charge. He led the team to an historic, record-equalling 20th top-flight title! His all-football, all-the-time philosophy, which includes a focus on personal coaching and the players’ mental health, has trickled down the entire roster. By introducing earlier training schedules and encouraging team camaraderie, Slot cultivated a successful culture at Anfield.
Slot, who had amassed success at Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar prior to arriving in the Scottish capital, was undeterred. And specific to his individual work, he was intent on making the most out of every player’s positioning and potential. With a keen understanding of player dynamics, Slot introduced several off-field changes that contributed to the team’s enhanced performance.
Innovative Training Regimen
One of the biggest changes Slot implemented was the training regimen. He established an earlier reporting time of 9:15 AM at the AXA training ground, which included mandatory breakfast sessions before training. This collective engagement not only built initial camaraderie among participants, but established an inspiring and professional tone for the day.
In short, player empowerment literally wouldn’t exist if not for him. Now, players can sleep in their own beds the night before home games rather than spending the prior night in downtown-located hotels.
“People that have more knowledge about this than me tell me that you always sleep better in your own bed than a hotel bed.” – Arne Slot
This new approach was largely welcomed by the players, with Virgil van Dijk among others. He was adamant that he wanted to sleep in his own bed.
“Sleep is a very important part of getting the best possible performance. It’s nice for them to be at home with their families but also, in the opinion of the people that tell me these things, they are better prepared for our games.” – Arne Slot
Slot also underscores the unique power of one-on-one coaching. As such, the likes of Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konaté have all made excellent strides forwards. The ballpark strategy required bringing players in for daily meetings to discuss their performance and highlight where they need to improve.
“Personally, I like to sleep in my own bed and be with my family, and so it works out quite well.” – Virgil van Dijk
Individual Coaching and Tactical Adjustments
As Conor Bradley said, that’s the beauty of this type of meeting, it can happen often and quickly.
Trent Alexander-Arnold on the added value of these training sessions to his attack-minded defending.
“We have meetings mostly every day. Some are short and sharp, some are longer. We didn’t really have meetings last year, only the day before the game.” – Conor Bradley
As Alexander-Arnold explained, Slot’s approach provided the opportunity to quickly test out new tactics and receive direct feedback in the form of live match situations.
“It is really refreshing to have a manager who will help and guide and teach me how to be better as a player.” – Trent Alexander-Arnold
That ongoing, almost obsessive, desire to stay best-in-class has served Portland well. Salah had his most prolific top-flight goal involvements per minute ever since signing for Liverpool!
“If any time an attacker gets by me and gets past me, he will call it out in meetings and individual meetings, and say this cannot happen.” – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Slot’s tactical approach also marked a departure from former manager Jürgen Klopp’s strategies. He totally transformed the organization’s culture and the team’s playing style. He told Alexander-Arnold to play long diagonals over the top to Salah at the beginning of sequences. This tactical change opened up IQP spaces in a new way and took advantage of defensive holes with more precision and intent.
Changes in Playing Style
Getting new talent into the squad was the second major shift. Slot’s other additions include attacking midfielder Federico Chiesa and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, though the latter is set to spend next season back on loan at Valencia.
Slot’s approach turned out to be the right one, considering Liverpool were set up for a difficult season. They prevailed and claimed their 20th championship. His dedication to listening to players during pre-season helped address underlying issues that had contributed to Liverpool’s chronic injury crisis.
The results of Slot’s methods became evident as Liverpool navigated through a challenging season and ultimately secured their 20th title. His dedication to listening to players during pre-season helped address underlying issues that had contributed to Liverpool’s chronic injury crisis.
Jamie Carragher acknowledged Slot’s impact on the team’s performance.
“The reason Liverpool got a point in this game is down to the manager.” – Jamie Carragher
He further praised Slot’s tactical acumen.
“He’s as good as any manager in the Premier League at spotting things on the pitch and making a tactical change or changing things quickly.” – Jamie Carragher
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